Second Chances
by BJ Louis
Summary: The past repeats itself, in a manner of speaking. The planet needs saved...but what if it needs it in four hundred years? You're about to find out...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Moonlight Dance 

* * *

Some scattered clouds floated across the dusk sky. They moved effortlessly; as if they were on skates and the sky was a sheet of ice. The stars, no matter how hard they tried, could not get their light to burst through the clouds. Those stars, while in their own galaxies huge, were tiny specks in the sky above the planet. Then, through the darkness, a shooting star streaked across the sky, ducking and weaving behind clouds. 

"How beautiful" The words echoed softly around the air. Their soft tone barely echoed off the rock walls. The teenage girl, who the voice belonged to, pushed some of her long brown hair away from her eyes. She watched the shooting star in utter silence. She shifted her legs, crossing her boot-clad feet. She placed her hands gently on the just-created lap; her green eyes still focused on the star shooting across the sky. After the star dipped behind some more clouds, it failed to reappear. The girl's smile faded not in the least. 

"How beautiful" She added her own echo to the area. After a few moments with no new events, the girl pushed off the rock ledge she had perched upon. Her boots let out a soft click when they landed. She put her hands down across her belly as she strolled away from the small cliff. In the distance, she saw a small town, which was about four or five football fields away. The street lights were humming, their casual glow lighting up the town. Even though there were numerous lights, not all of them felt very welcoming. The girl kicked a rock out of her path, the smile fading with each step closer to the town. 

"Do not go home" She heard suddenly. The message seemed garbled; like it was coming through distorted television channell. The girl froze in mid-stride, her eyes going wide. 

"Who-who is there?" She forced out. She spun around, her pink dress flowing in the wind. Her bright green eyes scanned for anything. 

"Just do not go home. Trust me" The voice came clearer, but still sounded distorted. The girl looked around, her feet pattering around the ground in constant motion. Her arms were waving like dead tree branches; failing and twisting about with no purpose. 

"Who-who...where are you?" The girl's screamed were filled with horror. A burst of wind hit her, forcing her to use her arms to hug herself. A small tear dripped down her face. 

"Please, trust me. Do not go home. The planet needs you" She heard again. The voice was once again distorted; the girl thought she might have water in her ears. A few tiny tears dropped down her face. 

"Is this some kind of joke? If you're one of my uncle's friends, stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" The girl pulled her arms away from her chest and hunched over. She began to pound her kneecaps with her fists. 

"No joke. The planet will need you. Trust me" The girl stopped pounding her kneecaps and looked up. The voice, while still distant sounding and distorted, sounded much calmer. Much more trusting. Even so, after a few moments, the teen began sprinting away from the area, her boots clomping along the way. She held her head low and covered it with her hands. The sprinting finally stopped as she entered the outskirts of the town. She spun around on her heel and looked behind her. Nothing, not even a single leaf, was behind her. The only sounds the girl could hear was the pounding of her heart and the gasps of her breathe. She walked down the street slowly; her feet aching from the brief sprint. 

"Hope that star heard me" The girl murmured. She turned down a narrow street and looked down at a small house. She strolled down the street; her heart pounding less and the gasps coming less frequently. As she neared the house, she heard a bottle break. She stopped walking and just looked at the house. Then, a few moments later, another broken bottle. A brief gust of wind hit the girl, knocking her pink dress around. 

"Don't go home" The words came in a whisper this time. The girl turned and walked down a different street, heading towards the center of town. Most places of business were closed; small towns rarely have the need for items late at night. 

"He's drinking again" She mumbled. She hugged herself and kept her eyes down on the ground. She saw a few dim lights on the asphalt road. Then, a flurry of bright colors covered the ground. Before she could look up at what caused the rainbows on the ground, she ran into someone. She took a few steps back and began to look upwards. 

"Oh, I'm so...sorry" The girl stated. Her face was covered with a fresh smile. The man standing ahead of her seemed to have stepped from a dream. His dark hair was combed back with the touch of a surgeon. His body seemed to have been a statue brought to life. His fancy shirt, unbuttoned and flapping in the wind, cost more than the girl's whole outfit. His teeth, despite being stained yellow, grinned with a sharpness that drove women crazy. 

"Oh, no, don't be fair lady" His voice seemed to belong to a movie star; yet it seemed layered. 

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention..." The girl dusted her dress off with a few quick motions; her eyes never leaving his face. His grin seemed to grow. It also seemed to become more yellow. 

"I said don't be sorry. I'm the one to blame. To make up for it, how about I buy you a drink?" The man asked calmly, a warm tone to his voice.. The girl shook her head, breaking her eyes away from his. 

"No thank you. I do not care for drinking" 

"How about a name?" 

"What? Buy me a name?" 

"No...what is your name?" The man's voice seemed to have been frozen now; the grin fell of his face.. The girl took a step back, her feet ready to turn and sprint for the second time. 

"Look, I think..." She began. The man held his arm out, the yellow grin covering his face once more. 

"I'm sorry. I'm Vance" He said, the warmth returning to his voice. The girl took his hand and shook it, her eyes looking onto his face again. And once more, their dark haze seemed hold her attention. 

"I'm Sarie. I'm sorry, I'm a bit edgy tonight" She pulled her arm away but keep her focus on him. 

"That's fine Sarie. Happy to meet you. Sure you wouldn't like a drink? I'm new in town here; sure could use someone to show me the ropes" Vance questioned her again. Sarie closed her eyes and shook her hand, her long brown hair whipping around. 

"No, I dislike drinking. I...you know, I need to go home. It's late out and I'm sure tomorrow will be busy" She spun on her left heel and turned back towards her house. 

"Do not go" The whisper hit her ears. Sarie spun around and looked at Vance. 

"What did you say?" 

"I said 'That's a shame'. You deaf too?" That coldness crept into his voice again. Sarie gave him a fake smile before turning around one more time. 

"Not at all. It was a pleasure, but I must be going" She felt the wind rush into her back. Keeping her eyes up now, she navigated the roads towards her house. The streets were getting darker now; much like the sky above. Finally reaching her street, Sarie faced her home. The only place she could remember calling home. 

"Whoever keeps telling me not to go home...if you got a reason besides creeping me out, tell me now" Sarie nervously called to the wind. She tried to look around without moving her body; her face fighting hard to keep straight. 

"Fine..I'm going crazy then" Sarie took a step forward towards her house before the words registered in her brains. 

"You need to trust me. Please. I'm here, but not there. Just do not go home tonight. You will not regret it....if you do not go home, I will tell you what you want to know" The voice sent a chill down her already cold spine. 

"Tell me what...about why I'm going crazy?" Sarie called out, now openly looking for whoever was talking to her. 

"You're listening for the first time ever. Just do not go home. The planet is going to need you. I promise to tell you more" The voice trailed off at the end, as if the person had left the area. 

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sarie screamed out, throwing her arms down at her sides. Her eyes watered up again, but her anger refused to let the tears drip. She waited a few minutes, but the only answer was the wind whipping into her and the old fashion lampposts that lit the streetways. Finally, her anger broke. Her tears came rushing down her face; the dam of anger gone now. Instead of going straight to her home, she made a quick u-turn and walked down the street. She walked two blocks; the only sounds heard where her muffled sobs and her steps echoing off walls. Finally, she reached a small park. Blinking through her tears, she walked into the park and glanced around. Despite her tears, she found herself smiling ever-so-slightly. 

"My palace" She remarked, looking up at an old wooden tree-fort. While there was red spraypaint on the outside declaring "B loves V" and the old rope ladder had more loose strings than a ball of yarn after meeting a cat, the place still seemed welcoming to her. She climbed up the ladder, her tears slowing down. She poked her head inside and glanced around. 

"It sure got small" The tiny smile glowed; she pulled herself inside the small fort. She put her legs out in front of her and tugged her brown boots off. She wiggled her toes a few times before tucking her legs under herself. As she leaned up, she pushed her hair back out of her face. With a hair-free view, she glanced out the one of the windows and looked down at the rusting swingset and the fresh new rose garden. 

"View was always nice" Sarie said, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wooden walls. Her eyes felt heavy; her feet were sore from the running, and a headache was growing. 

"Whoever is out there has a lot of explaining..." She closed her eyes tightly. 

* * *

"You need to listen" Sarie shook her head and looked around. The voice ran into her brain and shook it. Sarie glanced around; the walls seemed to be farther away from her. The fragrance of roses filled her nose. The window seemed bigger next to her. 

"I wanna know who you are!" Sarie screamed. She stood up now; forgetting that before her eyes closed that she would never had been able to stand. 

"Please calm down Sarie" The voice came. For the first time, Sarie noticed it was a female voice; that alone calmed Sarie down. 

"Look...I feel like I'm going crazy! I'm willing to accept a lot...I'm naive! I know it, everyone knows it! So if you wanna tell me something, just tell me! But at least tell me who you are" Sarie looked all around. 

"Sarie...I cannot tell you who I am yet. I can tell you you're not going crazy. I'm not there, per say, so you're not hearing things. You're very important in the grand scheme of thing. You have to prove you're willing to save the planet before I can tell you everything" Sarie took a deep breathe. 

"I'm naive...but how I can believe you? You won't tell me anything important. You keep telling me this and that. I want some proof" Sarie called out. She felt her body shaking, her arms and legs vibrating. 

"You're Sarie Greensburg. You never meet your parents; the only family you ever had was your Aunt Emily and Uncle Cid. Emily Greensburg died about two years ago. Your uncle began to drink heavily after that. He still cares about you, of course. Your favorite color is pink. In fact, your outfit you have on is your favorite one you own. You love flowers and-" 

"Ok-ok-ok, I believe you! I'm either going crazy or your stalking me" Sarie flopped back down to the ground and pushed her head into her hands. 

"Let's just say I'm like your guardian angel. I promise, I only want to protect and help you. You are special, child. You need to go to Cosmo Canyon. Once you get there, ask to speak to Nanaki. He is the elder of their town. However, when you meet him, call him Red XIII. Or simply Red. Once you get there, you'll get further instructions" Sarie looked out from her hands. 

"That's a bit of a journey. Especially by myself...but, I'll do it. I mean, I don't want to be stuck here in Cobbleston forever. Whoever you are, though...gotta tell me more when I get there. Deal?" Sarie called out. She felt her body get warmer; a nice calming warmth. 

"Deal. I promise you Sarie. And I'll tell you this: I doubt you'll be alone on your trip. Just don't let looks deceive you" Sarie blinked once or twice. 

"Ok...I'll try...I mean, me, saving the planet? I'm just a teenage girl. I like flowers and music. I have never fought in my life" Sarie questioned aloud, looking around as if the answers were going to written out in the thin air. 

"Child, there is much you will need to learn. I assure you; you will learn it in time. It's almost time for you to be on your way" The voice sounded very motherly, to Sarie at least. Sarie nodded. 

"I feel odd now...like I've known you forever. Then again, you've been spying on my life-" 

"I do not spy!" The voice spoke, now sounding very much like a teenager in its own right. Sarie smiled slightly and titled her head. 

"I'm sorry. Can I ask one last question...why couldn't I go home?" Sarie took a deep breathe after she asked the question. It was quiet for a few moments. 

"You're about to find out. Wake up!" The voice screamed loudly. 

* * *

Sarie's eyes shoot open. She went to stand up, but her head hit the roof dead on, knocking her right back onto her butt. 

"Ouch! What gives?" Sarie questioned, looking around. A frown crossed her face as she rubbed her head. 

"It was all a dream, I guess..." Sarie rubbed her head in a small circle with her left hand. She could feel a small bruise on it forming. 

"It was not just a dream, child" The voice said. Sarie narrowed her eyes. 

"At least tell me I'm asleep next time" Sarie reached down and grabbed her boots. She yanked them on one at a time. As soon as she had them back on, she began to rub her head again. After a few moments, the bump on her head was gone, and the pain was all but gone. 

"Well, at least I didn't hit my head to hard..." Sarie pushed her legs out the small doorway and climbed down the thinning rope-ladder. As soon as she reached the bottom, a smell entered her nose. 

"Smells like a barbecue..at this time...oh no, someone's house is on fire" Sarie sprinted down into the street. Her sprint stopped dead. She looked down the road and saw the fire blazing. No more steps were needed. She felt her heart pounding inside her chest. She felt her hands closing into fists. She felt some tears forming in her eyes. 

"Thank you...guardian angel. I'm gonna assume I have no family now..." Sarie forced out; the words could barely pass for a whisper. She felt the wind rush into her suddenly. 

"That's my answer then..." Sarie felt the warm tears flowing down her face. She walked over to an oak tree and put her hands up against it. She began to let her tears flow freely onto her hands. The tears ran off her hands and onto the tree. The stream of tears forced its way down the bark of the tree. 

"Hey...you...Sarie, right? What's the problem?" Vance asked just as the stream hit the ground. Sarie pushed off the tree and spun to face him; her back hit onto the tree. He had that yellow grin shining at her again. 

"Vance...oh...I just had a long night" Sarie's eyes keep glancing towards her home. The only home she had ever had. She felt a fresh wave of tears hit her. 

"I see...look, maybe you can help me out. I've never been here before. And really, since I'm heading out of town tomorrow morning, perhaps you can give me a hand finding my hotel" Vance asked her, a certain level of charm in his voice. Sarie pushed the tears out of her eyes and nodded, sniffing. 

"Where you heading?" She asked, trying to sound calm but failing for the most part. Vance smoothed his shirt out with his left hand; his right hand pointed westward. 

"I'm going to Jarison Bay. Why, you heading that way too?" Vance took crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her. Sarie bit her tongue and nodded. 

"I'm not going there, per-say. I need to go that direction, though...how you getting their? Rent-a-car? Train?" Sarie felt her voice growing stronger; felt her body regaining control of itself. Vance took a step closer to her; his body towering over her. Sarie took a step back from her; her left heel hit the tree. 

"I was planning on renting a car. I see what you're getting at here...you want to be around a fine piece of man" Vance tilted his head downwards, pushing his face close to hers. Sarie took a half-step backwards; her body flush against the tree. 

"No, I'd like a ride. I've never been that way before. I'll pay my way, so I'm not asking for a hand-out. I'll even show you were your hotel is. Sound like a deal, hmmm?" Sarie forced out, almost choking on a tear. Vance leaned away; he put his left hand on the tree, his glare still aimed at her. 

"Fair enough cupcake. I'm rolling out tomorrow. You gonna be ready then?" Vance's grin, dirty and yellow, was morphing into a nasty sneer. Sarie nodded her head. 

"Sure will be" She replied; her voice a mixture of sarcasm and truth. Vance's lip curled upwards, as if it was trying to touch his mustache. 

"Grand. Now then; Cobbleston Townsquare Inn. I assume you know where that is" Vance pushed in just an inch closer; an inch closer than Sarie must have approved. She quickly pushed off the tree, away from him. She headed down the street, away from the smoke and fire and lights and water...all out it, moving away. 

"Let's go then. I got to get ready to go tomorrow" Sarie mentioned, using her arm to direct him to follow before she turned around and walked down the street. Vance watched her behind swaying. 

"Oh, sure..." Vance followed behind her, his grin almost as big as the smoke cloud coming from the burning building. 

* * *

"Go home..." Sarie muttered, her words muffled by the bush. She peered through again, looking at the two cop cars sitting near her burnt-down home. She saw three figures, all talking, near said cars. When she saw them laughing, she turned away from them. 

"Please go home...guardian angel, you out there? You out there?" Sarie called out. She looked up at the sky; the darkness remained. Only a few stars were out; she had the feeling it was going to storm that day. The wind blew around; the bush she was using as cover blew all around. Sarie put her head on her hands. 

"Guess not..." Sarie sadly commented. 

"I'm always near you child" The voice came. Sarie looked up, a faint smile on her face. 

"My uncle..." Sarie forced out, that smile gone faster than a snowflake dissolves on a hot-plate. 

"I'm sorry Sarie. Terribly sorry. My goal...my heart made me save you. Only you, though" The voice sounded like it could crack. Sarie rubbed her face with her hands. 

"I know...trust...I trust you now. You're all I got left...some voice in the wind" Sarie muttered. No answer came; Sarie rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to fight off her headache. 

"I'm glad you trust me. Very glad. Why did you return here?" The voice questioned. Sarie blinked. She put her hands on her knees; her face puzzled. 

"You don't know? You can't read my mind?" Sarie asked. The voice giggled once or twice. 

"Of course not! I only know what you state" The voice commented. Sarie nodded once; that headache would just not go away. 

"I'm happy...I wouldn't like you in my mind. Anyways, I came back here to see if I could find anything...useful. I doubt it...I wanna say goodbye" Sarie felt the headache crush her brain. 

"I understand. Avoid the cops; you need to begin your journey. And Sarie?" Sarie rubbed her temples even harder; the only defense she had for this type of headache. 

"Yeah?" 

"To the left of your garden, under the third stone in the walkway...your Uncle Cid left you one last present" The voice commented; a tone of pride in her voice. Sarie felt her headache breaking up; in pieces now, it was not quite as painful to her. 

"Oh...how do you...tell him I love him" Sarie stated. She felt the wind wash over her. That wind seemed to knock most of her headache. 

"I do not need to. I do not need to, child" The voice answered. Sarie smiled; still faint, but full of spirit. 

"Thank you angel" Sarie did not expect an answer and did not receive one. It did not bother her in the least. She kept rubbing her temples so that the headache would not return. After a few minutes, she heard the cars start up. She spun around and looked through the bush. The cars were driving away. Sarie got up, glanced around, then ran across the road. She stopped at the curb. No matter how hard she thought this would be, she was wrong. Her eyes filled with tears instantly. She fell to her knees, choking on her tears. 

"No time to waste Sarie" She told herself as she got to her feet. She walked around the house and did her best not to look at the charred remains of her house. Her family. Her life. She got to the backyard and moved right towards her garden. It was a small little thing; she loved it just the same. She walked over and gave it a once-over; just some brown soil and a few small holes. It was not the time of year for growing. She bent down and pushed some dirt into the holes; she had to touch it once, no matter what. After adding a half-inch or so of dirt into each hole, she turned to the stone path. She walked to the third stone and bent down. She put her fingers under it and nearly fell over; the 'stone' fell into the air. She had expected a ten pound stone; not a cardboard fake in its place. 

"What in the world" Sarie commented. There was a tiny little box sitting there, surrounded by some loose dirt. Sarie bent down and picked it up. It was no bigger than a cigar box. Inside was a lone sock. Sarie made a face and lifted the sock upwards. But to her shock, a huge wad of gil, tied together with a rubberband, rolled out of the sock. 

"Goodness!" She gasped. She took the wad and examined it. She took the rubberband off and began to flip through the gil. 

"Over two grand...but why? Why would he leave this out here?" She stared up at the sky. It held no answers; none at all. Taking a deep breathe and looked around, she made sure no one was watching her. When she was comfortable no one was watching, she pulled her left boot down a few inches. She took the gil and wrapped it around her leg, then ran the rubberband up her leg until it reached the money. Snapping when it hit Sarie's leg, the rubberband held the gil to her leg. She pulled her left boot back up and over the gil. Satisfied that it was hidden once more, Sarie turned back to what remained of her only home. The house pulled her to it; like it has her lassoed. She stood at the edge of the damage; her feet standing in a small hill of ash. Her eyes zoned the entire area; she could see through the numerous tears. The tears that had slowed, but never stopped, since she walked off the curb. The tears were streaming down her face; even harder than when she first saw the fire. She could see her home, though. She could still see it. 

"Goodbye Uncle Cid. I love you" Sarie called out. She turned her face away from the mound of ash and destruction. Her feet moved her around the mound of disaster; her tear-stained face did not look at her former home. Not once. She just merely walked around it. She stopped at the curb again and looked upwards. She leaned down and rubbed her left boot, rubbing her hand over the wad of money. She leaned up; she had kept her head high the whole time. 

"I trust you" 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Chapter 2: Tomorrow Is A Drop Away 

* * *

"You've been quiet" Vance's words snapped Sarie's eyes awake. She blinked once or twice before turning towards him. 

"Sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night" Sarie answered; she really had no interest in a conversation anyways. Vance grinned; his dark brown eyes focused on the road ahead of him. 

"You look like you were up all night crying. Nightmares or something?" Vance leaned into the seat more; using only one hand on the wheel now. 

"Oh, you could say that. I'm sorry, I must be terrible company" Sarie turned back towards the road; hey tired green eyes trying in vain to get a clear picture of what was ahead. 

"Well, it's understandable. I mean...look, I'm sorry about last night. I had a few drinks and I was just...well, I was hoping to get to know you. I acted like a jerk. So I'm sorry" Vance took his free hand and adjusted the rear-view mirror. Sarie leaned up off her chair. A tiny, faint smile fell onto her face. 

"It's alright. Last night, as I keep saying, was pretty long. I should have been nicer" Sarie reached behind her hand and pushes her hair off her back; her feet dancing around on the car floor. 

"So where you heading? You know, in the long run?" Vance asked her, trying to ignore all the noise she was making. 

"Oh...just on a little vacation. I want to head towards the south; you know, visit Nibelheim maybe. I really haven't given it a ton of though" Finally happy with her hair, her body stopped making so much noise. Vance pushed on the gas-pedal a little harder, his grin growing. 

"No, really, where you going?" Vance gambled; the car went speeding past grass fields and small lakes with family names. Sarie gulped down. 

"You'd laugh at me" Sarie forced out; she was not sure it came out in words or merely her mouth moving with no sound. Her ankles crossed and uncrossed a few times. Her hands began to rub together nervously. 

"Why would I laugh?" Vance asked her; confirming her fear she had actually spoken the words. Now, her arms went to her sides and grabbed onto her dress; her ankles planted to the ground unmoving. 

"I need to go to Cosmo Canyon and meet Red and then he's gonna tell me how to save the planet and it sounds so stupid" Sarie blurted out; the words came out in a jumbled mess. It was like the pieces of a puzzle falling out of the just-opened box; all over the place. 

"Come again?" Vance's words had a harshness to them. 

"Well, here's the thing...I need to go to Cosmo Canyon to speak to some gentlemen named Nanaki. Something about helping the planet" Sarie leaned into her chair; if she could close her ears she would have. 

"Nanaki? I may know the guy. I think I drank with him once or twice. Maybe I can help you get there" Vance commented. Sarie's eyes shoot open; no lack of sleep could keep them closed now. 

"Really? You don't think it's stupid or ludicrous?" Sarie asked quickly. The car slowed down somewhat, but it still rolled on at a good speed.Vance chuckled; his grin growing wide. 

"Why would I laugh? In fact, if you'd like, I could take you there" Vance commented. Sarie felt a smile trying to break onto her face. Even if her heart told her to hold it back. 

"That would be nice, if you would. So what kind of car is this, anyways?" Sarie tried to change the subject. Vance nodded and pressed on the gas pedal again. 

"It's a LeSaber. Fastest car around. You ever driven one?" Vance followed her lead. Sarie shook her head and let out a tiny-bag of giggles. 

"Nope. I've never driven in my life" Sarie commented; she crossed her ankles and placed her hands on her lap. Vance made a face; his lip curled upwards. 

"So how old are you, anyways?" Vance pressed the car harder still; road signs and grass plains flew past them. 

"I'm seventeen. How old are you? Like twenty or twenty one?" Sarie asked; her eyes on the passing signs. Vance stole a look at her, biting his tongue very hard. By the time he returned his view onto the road, his nasty yellow sneer had returned. 

"Yeah, twenty-one. You nailed it. Bingo cupcake. So you got any family? Boyfriend?" Vance asked. Sarie lifted her left hand off her lap and leaned it against the window. She then placed her chin on the left palm. 

"Oh, no. I'm on my own" Sarie said in her fast tone. Vance just sneered and nodded. The car drove along in silence for a few moments. 

"So..." Vance turned to Sarie but stopped; her eyes were tightly shut. Her mouth was opened somewhat; but he could tell she was sleeping. Vance took his free hand and put it on the arm rest. Slowly, as the car went down the road farther, his hand moved closer and closer to her body. Suddenly, Sarie stirred a bit and Vance pulled his arm away quickly; his finger tips missing her behind by mere millimeters. She curled up into a ball along side the passenger door. Vance just grinned at her; the yellow shine off his teeth enough to slow down a car. 

"Not now...now, anyways" 

* * *

"Wake up cupcake" Vance called out; the words shook Sarie's body awake. Her body jolted upwards; much like when a person is splashed with water. Her eyes shot open. However, the high fields of grass and road signs were replaced; now neon signs and dirty buildings filled her eyes. 

"Where are we?" Sarie rubbed her eyes, knocking crust and hopefully the view out of her eyes. When she stopped, only the crust was gone. Vance stood at his open car door. 

"We're in Jarison Bay. Where do you think? Come on, we need to go see a guy. He can help us out" Vance slammed the door shut. Sarie rubbed her eyes quickly before opening her door and getting out. 

"No offense, but how is this helping me? I don't need to see anyone...I just need to get to Cosmo Canyon" Sarie commented. She flattened her dress down and quickly smoothed her hair out. 

"What is this place?" Sarie asked. Vance had his hand on the door knob, but did not open the door. 

"This is Cosmic Kevin's...it's a bar. Lots of mercs hang out here" Vance turned the doorknob. 

"What's a merc?" Sarie asked, standing right behind her. Her head was tilted; her face covered in a puzzle. Vance held the doorknob where it was at, but added enough pressure to crush a glass bowl. 

"A merc is a mercenary. You know what that is, right?" Vance spat out; the doorknob was shaking in his fist. The puzzle fell right off of her face. 

"Oh yeah, I getcha" She stated, a soft smile on her face. Vance let out a sigh and pushed the door open. 

"Come on" Vance commanded; the door flew out of his hand and went swinging backwards, nearly hitting her. Sarie grabbed the door and quickly went inside. Her eyes squinted at once; the dark buildings and a few neon lights were replaced with hordes of neon lights and few dark spots. Disco balls were hung from the ceiling; light and barely-dressed girls danced around the room at a wicked pace. Smoke, from both machines and people, filled the air, giving the room a foggy feeling. Sarie did her best to follow Vance, who moved like a man who disliked having a shadow. Vance made his way towards the bar; a long L shaped bar at the back right corner. Sarie skipped around some broken beer glasses as she followed. Sarie kept dancing around people who were coming and going from the bar, doing her best not to touch or offend anyone. Finally, she saw Vance stop behind a patron. She walked up behind her and crossed her hands over the front of her dress. Vance tapped the man's shoulder; the man instantly spun around and reached down to his leg. Sarie followed his motion and saw a shotgun attached to his belt buckle. Her eyes went wide as she gulped. Vance sat down across from the man. 

"Chill out Frost. It's just me" Vance pulled out a pack of cigars and tossed them on the bar. Frost ran his hand through his short hair; Sarie noticed that his dark brown hair had white tips. Sarie tilted her head and looked at Vance. 

"Is this your friend?" Sarie asked. Vance looked back at her. 

"Friend? Yeah, whatever. Frost-Sarie, Sarie-Frost. Bartender, give me a banana daiquiri" Vance gestured with his hand to the passing bartender. Sarie took a few steps forward and extended her hand. 

"Hello there....um, hello?" Sarie commented. The man, who Sarie could tell was not that much older than her, ignored her and took a sip from his beer bottle. Vance spun on his seat and faced Sarie. 

"He can't hear you. He's deaf. You gotta poke him to get his attention and shit" Vance turned towards Frost and slapped his shoulder. Frost glared at Vance but then noticed Sarie's still extended hand. He spun to her and shook it gently. 

"Hello there miss. I'm Frost, and you are?" He asked. His face lacked emotion; no smile, no grin, no sneer, nothing. Sarie, however, did have a small smile on her face. 

"I'm Sarie..you're deaf?" She bluntly asked; her lips snapped shut tight. Frost let out a sigh. 

"Yeah, I'm deaf" He commented. Sarie gulped hard and looked around the bar scene. Then suddenly turned her attention back to him. 

"So how do you know what I'm saying?" Sarie spit out in her fast way. Frost pointed to his lips. 

"I can read lips. In this type of environment, it helps" Frost noted before taking a swig from his beer.. Sarie nodded and crossed her arms in an attempt to hug herself. Vance turned towards the both of them again; drink in hand. 

"Ok, enough chit-chat. Sit down cupcake so me and my boy here can talk business" Vance commanded. Sarie looked blankly at him; her face confused one more time. Frost turned to his left and knocked a few cigarette butts of the barstool there. 

"Sit over here" His words barely went over the music, but Sarie heard them. She walked quickly to the chair and jumped up onto it. Once she was sitting down, Frost turned his attention back to Vance. 

"So what's the score?" Frost asked, his dark blue eyes focused on Vance. Sarie fidgeted on her barstool, trying to get her dress to flatten out nicely. Vance took a sip of his drink and placed it down on the bar. 

"A little something-something is coming in from North Wutai. Pick up and delivery, that's all" Vance turned back to the bar and picked up his pack of cigars. Frost's eyes narrowed. 

"Odd, you need me for that" Frost stated; not a question but a statement. Vance put a cigar in his mouth and lit it; a puff of smoke flew into the air. The smoke joined the rest of its family in the air around the whole bar. 

"Well, the peeps involved want two people there. More secure, I suppose" Vance took a deep hit on the cigar and then let the smoke fill out of his mouth. Frost shook his head and leaned back in his barstool. He took another big swig from his beer. 

"How much?" He glanced over at this new girl to his left; Sarie was still fidgeting with her dress, trying to achieve perfection from it. Vance slapped his shoulder to get his attention. 

"Two-fifty, each. Seeing as how its gonna take an hour or so, I figured that wasn't so bad" Vance hissed out. Frost did not need his hearing to know the words were not pleasant. 

"Fine, I'm in. Not like its a major job. When is it?" Frost put the empty beer bottle on the bar. Vance laughed before letting out another cigar-filled cloud. 

"Tonight. I figured you weren't doing anything anyways...." Vance started before turning back to his drink, away from the lip-reading eyes "you dumb deaf fucker" Vance finished. Frost raised his eyebrows. 

"What did you say?" He spat out. Vance glared over at him, smoke coming out through his yellow teeth. 

"I said 'How about another' to the bartender" Vance let the smoke out in Frost's face. 

"You can be a prick sometimes Vance. Anyways, whenever you wanna roll is fine" Frost commented. Vance made a face and smashed his cigar into the bar. 

"I need to piss. Watch the girl" Vance got up from his barstool and walked through the mobs of people. Frost looked over at the girl, who now faced the dance-floor. Her face looked like it had been white-washed. 

"What's wrong?" Frost looked at her; eyes probing this new girl. She looked towards him; eyes wide. 

"The guy behind the bar, he yelled at me. I dunno why!" Sarie exclaimed. Frost chuckled a few times. 

"You gotta yell in this place for the most part. Or else no one will hear you. I'm gonna guess you're not from here" Frost asked. Sarie again attempted to flatten her dress out. 

"No, I'm from Cobbleston" Sarie fidgeted with her dress some more. Frost made a face. 

"Wow, how'd you end up with Vance?" Frost questioned. Sarie smiled now and stopped messing with her dress at the moment. She looked into his grey eyes and studied them. 

"Oh, he just gave me a ride here. I'm heading towards Cosmo Canyon soon, I need to meet someone there. And Vance knows the person, so he's gonna help me get there" Sarie cheerfully explained. Frost made yet another face. 

"What you kids talking about" Vance roared as he walked back to his barstool. Frost bite his tongue hard. 

"Oh, we were just talking about why I'm with you. That's all" Sarie tilted her head once more and smiled a little more. Vance snatched his cigars up and glared at them. 

"Let's roll. I want to get there early; make sure no crack-heads are lingering" Vance turned and walked away from them. Sarie blinked and got up. Frost tossed some gil on the bar and got up as well. He stretched out. Sarie stepped in front of him and pointed to his shotgun, which was dangling on his right leg. 

"You're allowed to have that? You know, in here?" Sarie asked. Frost smirked and let out a chuckle. 

"You're really new to this town. Look around as we leave; almost everyone's armed" Frost told her. Sarie felt a cold chill run down her spine. 

"Why-why?" Sarie feet keep moving around in a sort of nervous dance. Frost walked past her. 

"The way it is. Don't worry; let's go" He pushed his way through the crowds, Sarie closely behind him. Finally, they got through the maze of lights and fog and got to the door. Frost pushed the door open, and to both their shocks, Vance was arguing with a young female. 

"That's not my fault!" Vance screamed at her. The girl put her hands on her hips and bent over; her red skimpy skirt not hiding her behind in the least. Her tight black halter top was holding her chest in place, but only by a string. 

"Yes it is, you dirty fuck!" Even in her red heels, this new girl was no where near as tall as Vance. 

"Listen Danielle, I don't care if you blew it all already! I told you that was it; end of the road. So don't crawl back to me!" Vance screamed; his voice nearly knocking the girl over. Sarie gently elbowed Frost. 

"Maybe we should go wait in the bar" She mentioned. Frost just shook his head. 

"Part of life" Was all he added. Danielle took a few steps backwards, nearly tripping in her shoes. 

"Come on Vance..Vance-baby. Please? Just a little?" Danielle's voice pleaded. Vance spit on her; a large brown wad of spit at that. It hit her upper thigh. 

"Fuck off cunt. I got better things to do then 'feed' you" Vance's voice echoed off the walls. Danielle's blue eyes filled up with tears. She took a few steps forward; slow steps so she wouldn't trip. 

"Please...please" She begged. Vance sneered; the yellow teeth showing how happy he was. He grabbed her blonde hair and yanked her towards him. 

"You know what I want, then" Vance commented. Danielle pulled her hair free and took a step away. Sarie felt her heart pounding in her chest. She again elbowed Frost. 

"What's going on? That his girlfriend or something?" Sarie asked; her words flying out of her mouth at rocket speed. Frost took a deep breathe. 

"I'm not sure what you just said, cause your mouth moved to fast. Regardless, I'm not sure who she is. Vance has a lot of women, though. Just let it play out. If you interfere, it'll get worse" Frost advised her. He leaned up again and watched the scene; Danielle was still not talking. 

"This was a bad idea...bad idea" Sarie muttered as she twisted her fingers together. 

"Vance...Vance-baby...anything but-" 

"Then get it somewhere else!" Vance did not allow Danielle to finish her statement. The girl had tears coming down her face; they messed up all her dark make-up. 

"Fine..." 

* * *

The neon sky danced against the dark buildings, giving them a glow that did not belong. The LeSaber moved along silently; Vance driving with Frost sitting shotgun with two young girls sitting in the back seat. Frost was cleaning his shotgun with a tissue; Vance had his eyes glued onto the streets and the cigar glued into his mouth. Sarie was fidgeting with her dress, as she always did. And the new girl, Danielle, was leaning against the door, her skirt hiked up as high as she could get it. Sarie kept stealing glances at Danielle, but was to afraid to talk or even look at her. The car slowed to a stop in front of a garage. 

"This sure is not the docks" Frost commented. Vance tossed the cigar out the window and pushed his door open. 

"No shit. I need to pick up a van" Vance spit out his smoke and stomped on the cigar. Frost groaned and pushed his door open, grabbing his shotgun with one hand. Once Sarie saw Frost get out, she quickly followed him. She jogged in front of him and held her hand up to stop him. 

"What's going on?" Her eyes pleaded with him. Frost took a deep breathe and shot a look at Danielle, who got out of the car and threw her hair back. 

"It's a pick-up deal. We pick up a shipment from the docks and then deliver it. It's simple" Frost explained. He attached his shotgun onto his belt again. 

"What kind of shipment?" Sarie's eyes were big green saucers. Frost leaned towards her; his eyes going back to Danielle. 

"Drugs, Sarie. I'm not sure what kind" Frost leaned away from her. Sarie took a deep breathe and folded her hands over her dress. She took a few hazy steps forward; her knees weak. 

"Illegal shipment..." She pushed the words out; her brain not believing them even when she said it. 

"You did not know what you were getting into" Frost commented from behind her. Sarie gulped hard and looked back at him. The clicking sounds of high heels filled the area; Danielle came sauntering over. 

"God, just talk about me more!" She hissed. Sarie frowned and looked over her shoulder at Danielle. 

"We're not talking about you...!" Sarie began, but felt her mind go blank. Danielle let out a huff and crossed her arms. 

"Why do you keep looking at me and whispering then? God, you people are awful!" Danielle hollered; her little body was shaking around. Sarie let out a sigh. 

"We're not talking about you, I swear! We were just-" Before Sarie could finish, the garage door went flying upwards. Vance came strutting out, his yellow grin shining. Everyone else turned towards him. 

"Alright people, let's go. I got...we have a lot to do" Vance walked up the car and popped the trunk upwards. He grabbed two suitcases and tossed them to the ground. He picked them up after he closed the trunk and walked back towards the van. Danielle perked up when she saw the suitcases and followed him towards the van. 

"Say Vance-baby, is there something in there for me?" Danielle leaned forward, letting her chest sticking out more than it normally did. Vance put the two suitcases off to the side in the garage and turned towards her. 

"Look bitch, I told-" Suddenly, a loud blast sound came from behind the garage. Everyone but Frost jumped; he merely shifted his weight and looked at them. 

"What was that?" Vance screamed. He opened the van and reached inside. When his arm can back, it was holding a gun. Frost lifted his shotgun off his belt now. 

"What's going on?" Frost was looking squarely at Vance and Vance alone. Vance took the safety off his gun and took a deep breathe through those yellow teeth. 

"Let's go, trouble out back" Vance commented. He ran out of the garage and down the side of it. Danielle, who was sweating a little bit, just stood there. Sarie felt like her heart was gonna rip through her chest. Frost turned to the two girls. 

"Stay here" With that, he followed behind Vance. Sarie gulped again and looked at the other girl, who was practically dancing in place now. 

"You ok?" Sarie called out, but the girl ignored her. 

"Go follow them" Came suddenly, the words sprung right into Sarie's mind. She knew the voice; the only one she trusted. She gulped once more and ran down the alleyway, doing her best to avoid broken glass and dumpsters filled with rotten trash. She saw Vance and Frost hunched behind a dumpster, looking out into the dark back alley. Frost turned around and glared at her. 

"Go back" He hissed at her. Sarie bit her tongue hard and shook her head. She peaked over the dumpster and saw nothing. 

"What's going-" She began before Vance grabbed her arm. He yanked her down hard; she fell onto her behind on the ground. Sarie's eyes, which were getting use to going wide, once again became wide. 

"Shut the fuck up" Vance commanded; he had never turned his attention from the alleyway. Sarie now closed her eyes and added a nod. Frost lifted his shotgun up. They all sat there for a few moments in silence. 

"Come out here!" The voice came from the back alleyway; a voice screaming through the night towards them. Silence took over for a few seconds. Then came light footsteps. The lights in the alleyway flickered; the whole place felt like it was going to shatter like an old lightbulb. 

"Come out here! I know you came down this way" The voice came again. Across the alleyway, all three of them heard movement. Sarie stood up and looked over at the dumpster on that side of the alleyway. She swore, even in the darkness, that someone had just jumped into it. Frost gently grabbed Sarie's wrist and pulled her down. 

"Keep down. We don't know what's going on out there" Frost whispered. Sarie nodded and said knowing; it would literally fall on deaf ears. 

"Come on out Bailey; it'll save us both time" The voice came again. The voice was growing closer now. Vance pushed them all back. 

"Fuck, it's ELITE" Vance hissed; he pulled his gun up again and looked out. Frost took a deep breathe. Sarie just stared; her body frozen. Then, from the other side, they all saw someone stand up from the dumpster. 

"Go fuck yourself" The person from the dumpster said. The other man, who was dressed in a military fashioned silver and black outfit, turned towards the dumpster. He pulled his sword out and grinned at the dumpster person. 

"Come on Bailey. I'd hate to chop your arm off" The person said. Deep down inside her, Sarie felt a surge of emotion. She lunged to her feet and stepped between the two men with her. 

"Hey! That's no fair!" Sarie shook her fist at the ELITE member. Vance and Frost both looked up at her with disgust. 

"Shut up!" They bellowed; their words echoing throughout the alleyways. The ELITE member craned his neck around to give them a look. 

"Who's there?" He screamed. Bailey grinned suddenly. His hand disappeared into his hooded-sweatshirt sleeve. He aimed his arm at the ELITE member. 

"Goodnight, Gracie!" He screamed as a huge green bolt of energy came flying from his hand. The force of the blast knocked him back into the dumpster. The green energy bolt missed its target, however, and instead slammed into the wall right above him. The whole building shook; loose pieces of old vinyl siding began to fall to the ground. The gutters, which were loose from disrepair, began to sway downwards. 

"Damnit!" Vance screamed as he dove between the dumpster and the building. Frost turned, grabbed Sarie with one arm, and dove to the ground. He covered her up with his body, protecting her from the pieces of siding that fell off the building. A few pieces landed on top of him; he took a deep breathe and began to lean off her. Then, from no where, the gutter fell and smacked him right in the back of the head. He fell back down onto Sarie, knocking the wind out of her. After a second, Sarie pushed the gutter of him and rolled him over. She sat on top of him, looking at his head. She placed her hands on his ears and leaned his head upwards. 

"Oh my goodness, Frost, are you ok? Are you hurt?" Sarie questioned quickly. Vance got up and looked back at them. He blinked; he swore he saw a vague green glow coming from the area. 

"Whatever" He walked out from his hiding place and stood still. Across the alleyway, the ELITE member stood at the front of the dumpster. He laughed a few times and tapped the dumpster with his sword. 

"You had a chance, and you blew it! Come out Bailey; be a man!" He screamed. Bailey looked up at him; his eyes narrow and determined. 

"Come in and get me, you fuck" Bailey commented; his voice was shaky. The ELITE member grinned. Then, a little pop filled with the air. Bailey was breathing heavily; he had not heard the pop. 

"Well?" He hissed. Then, he saw a red dot on the ELITE member's forehead. The dot became a circle, and then the circle became a lake. From the lake, a river of blood flowed down the ELITE member's face. Then, the face disappeared from Bailey's view. Frost finally opened his eyes. 

"Oh...what hit me?" He wanted to know. Sarie smiled slightly and nodded towards the gutter. 

"Just an old gutter. You feel ok? I don't see any blood or feel any bumps" She got off him and pressed her skirt down. Frost nodded and looked down at his feet. Despite just being told he had no bumps, he rubbed his own head, not looking at her. 

"I feel fine...wait..." He took a deep breathe. Sarie turned towards the alleyway. 

"Vance, what's going on?" Sarie screamed. Frost looked up at her. 

"What did you..." Frost began, but shut up at once; Sarie had not heard him anyways. She stopped in the alleyway. 

"What's going on? What happened?" Sarie called out. The lights in the alleyway were dark; no light would shine on this area. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Stardust In a Forgotten Dream 

* * *

"Why did you kill that man?" Sarie walked right up to Vance; her body one huge shacking bag of emotions. Vance coldly put his gun into his belt and glared down at her. 

"I felt like it" Vance's words could have frozen an oven. Sarie took a step away from him, then spun on her left heel away. Before she could respond, she heard a thud coming from the dumpster. She gently twisted her neck and looked towards the dumpster. Bailey and Frost were closing the lids on the dumpster. Frost dusted his hands off; Bailey merely cracked his neck. They faced each other, and at once extended a hand to the other. 

"Bailey, thanks" 

"Frost, not a problem" Sarie felt her tiny smile crawl onto her face. 

"Ok, Bailey-boy. You owe me" Vance destroyed the scene. Frost stood right next to Sarie; he had his hand right next to his shotgun. Bailey shoot a look towards Vance. 

"Excuse me. Who the fuck are you?" Bailey walked past Sarie and Frost and got right in Vance's face. Those yellow teeth came out from hiding behind the lips. 

"I saved your ass" Vance spat out. Bailey leaned forward a bit more. Vance took a step back; he had not realized that Bailey was a few inches taller than he was. 

"No, that girl saved my ass" Bailey countered. Vance looked over at the building that Bailey had accidentally shoot. 

"And then you almost killed us. You owe us" Vance's view returned to Bailey. Bailey let out a laugh. Not a jolly laugh and not a happy laugh; a laugh one only gets away with when they are in control. 

"Go fuck yourself. I can spell that out for you, if you're too dumb to get it" With that, Bailey turned towards the others. He walked over to Sarie and extended his right hand. 

"I'm Bailey. Thanks for the distraction back there" Bailey's voice was different than before. It seemed to be coming from a different person. Sarie gripped his gloved hand and shook it. 

"I'm Sarie...you're welcome" Sarie let go off his hand and looked up at him. He smirked at her then turned towards Frost. 

"Gutters can be a bitch" Bailey let out a small laugh. Frost grinned despite himself and nodded. Vance threw his arms into the air. 

"You people are ridiculous! Let's go, pronto!" Vance went back down the alleyway. Bailey just shook his head. 

"What a clown-shoe" Bailey looked towards where Vance had gone. 

"He is a very crude person. He has a point though; I'd rather not stick around here" Frost pointed out. Sarie looked back at the dumpster. 

"I don't want to leave him here...! That guy may have family...friends...!" She stated. Bailey shook his head and began down the alleyway. 

"He tried killing me. He lost; I won. He'd have left me there" Bailey disappeared into the darkness. Sarie crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly. Frost walked past her and stopped. After a few moments, he looked over his shoulder at her. 

"Sarie, he's right" Vance's vest was flapping in the sudden breeze that filled the alleyway. Sarie nodded and opened her mouth to talk, but stopped. She tilted her head right then left. 

"Where'd you get the sword?" She asked a question she knew the answer too. Frost shrugged, turned face forward, and walked down the narrow alleyway behind the others. 

"He won't need it anymore" Was Frost's answer. He went down the dark alleyway alone. Sarie turned back to the dumpster and sighed. 

"People die" The voice came; it had a calming effect on her. The horrid smell of garage seemed to be tempered by the smell of a fresh batch of daisies. She nodded her head. 

"I know...it's just such a shame. Angel...why am I meeting all these people?" Sarie looked around; the voice did not come from anywhere in particular. 

"You just are. Trust me, child" The wind gently whipped around Sarie. She took a deep breathe. 

"I do trust you. I do. This is all so sudden for me...I feel so alone" Sarie bite her lip. The voice let out a soft chuckle. 

"You're surrounded by people. Once you get to know them, you will not feel alone. Now go on" The voice commanded in its soft way. Sarie looked back at the dumpster even as she walked down the alleyway the others had taken. After turning her attention forward again, she strolled around empty trash cans and broken glass again. 

"You are such a stupid bitch!" Sarie's ears perked up. She jogged the rest of the alleyway and turned the corner. Danielle was sitting on the ground, a suitcase in front of her. The handle was broken off and still in her hand. Vance was standing over her. 

"I'm sorry...! I was lifting it-" 

"You were trying to break into it! You dumb cunt; I don't got any heroin in there! If I did, I sure as fuck wouldn't give it to you!" With one quick motion, Vance brought his hand down and slapped her dead in the face. Danielle fell over like a ton of bricks hit her. Sarie quickly spun on her heels to see if Frost or Bailey were nearby; but she saw neither. Sarie took a few steps backwards. 

"Stop crying! If they see you crying, I will fuck you up later bitch" Vance commanded. Danielle sniffled a few times and got up to her feet. Sarie took a few steps forward and looked at them. 

"Hey, what's going on" She said, trying her hardest to sound happy. Vance grinned his yellow grin and nodded towards Danielle. 

"Oh, Danielle here tripped on a crack and broke the suitcase. Right Danielle?" Vance turned his attention to her; his dark eyes focusing on her damaged blue eyes. Danielle put on the worst smile in history; one so fake even a child could point it out. 

"Yeah, I'm clumsy in these shoes" Danielle said. Just then, Frost came walking around the corner; the shotgun in his hands. The sword, even though it was brand new to his back, looked like it belonged there and had always been in place. 

"No cops coming this way Vance" Frost announced. Vance nodded and took a few steps forward and looked down the other way. 

"We're clear" Bailey announced from the other way. He finally came into view of the others. Vance nodded and let his yellow grin out of the bag again. 

"Great. Ok, here's the plan-" 

"Hold on there Vinny" Bailey interrupted. Vance's eyes narrowed and the grin vanished. 

"It's Vance" 

"I'll call you Fuckie if I want. Thanks all for the save; I'm outta here" Bailey put his hand up and waved. Frost calmly mirrored the wave. Danielle just shifted weight from one foot to the other. Sarie frowned and tilted her head. Vance spit and sneered at him. 

"You owe us, asshole. All I want you to do is help us on a job; simple pick-up. After that, I'll consider your debt erased" Vance explained. Bailey let out a laugh and crossed his arms. 

"I don't owe you shit. You gonna stop me from leaving?" Bailey unfolded his arms and tapped his left arm; the one the blast came from. Sarie took a few steps towards him. 

"Look Bailey....just help us out" Sarie looked into his eyes and pleaded with her own eyes. Bailey re-crossed his arms and looked downwards. 

"After I help you with this delivery nonsense, I'm gone" Bailey kicked a rock out of his way. Sarie smiled and clasped her hands in front of her happily. 

"Great!" She said. Vance grinned; a victory grin. He began to walk around, his eyes jumping from person to person as he spoke. 

"Alright guys, here is the plan. I need to go call the pick-up people and tell them we're on the way. After that, we go and pick up the drugs at Dock 66. Then we take it down to the red-light district and drop it off at the corner of Hosni and Webber. There should be two men there; one in all black with glasses and a man with long blonde hair and a silver sparkly shirt. That's it, we all good on details?" Vance asked. Bailey made a face. 

"You need me for this...why?" Bailey calmly asked. Vance stopped walking and glanced at Bailey. 

"Security pal. More people makes it safer. Plus, like I said, after this you're off the hook" Vance explained. Bailey shoot a look at Sarie. She pleaded more with her eyes, until Bailey nodded. 

"Fine, whatever" Bailey kicked another rock away. Sarie clapped her hands together and clapped her finger tips together. Vance turned around and walked into the garage. 

"Alright, I need to make that call. Frost, can come with me?" With that, both men walked into the garage and vanished. Bailey's eyes narrowed; he took a deep breathe and stomped over to Sarie. 

"So why do I need to come?" Bailey asked point-blank to her. Sarie twisted her fingers together. 

"I dunno...it feels right, for you to be with us" Sarie explained. Bailey rolled his eyes. 

"Look, I'm not into this crap. I don't got time to stay here" Bailey looked to his left to see what the clicking noise was. Danielle strolled over to them, little beads of sweat rolling. She stopped near them, crossing her arms and swaying a bit. 

"So, hi there..." Danielle looked at Sarie first before looking up at Bailey. 

"Hey there. Awfully young to be out this time of night" Bailey commented. Danielle sneered up at him, her tiny body shaking. 

"Oh whatever. Sorry I came over-!" 

"Guys, do not fight! We don't need to fight" Sarie jumped in between them, putting her hands out. She looked back and forth between the two of them. Bailey raised his eyebrow. 

"Sarie, we're not gonna fight" Bailey mentioned. Sarie blinked and looked at Danielle. Danielle was shaking even more now, but not in fear. 

"Look, I dunno if its just an image thing or if you're really Miss Perfect, but I just wanted to know if you guys had any heroin" Danielle snorted her nose and tilted her head; her hair laying on her shoulders. Bailey let out a laugh. 

"You look like you're ten!" Bailey threw his arms into the air. With that, Danielle huffed and walked away from them; her red heels clicking on the broken cement surface. Then her left heel meet a crack, which proceeded to knock her to her knees. Danielle balled up her hands into fists and slammed them into her kneecaps. 

"Damn it!" She got to her feet again. Sarie took a deep breathe and jogged over to her. 

"Hey, you ok?" Sarie stopped beside her, looking down at her knees. Danielle's blonde hair whipped around as her face turned to Sarie. 

"Yeah, I'm freezing. My knee is sore! I'm sick of you people, and I need a hit real bad! I'm fine!" Danielle stomped her left foot. Sarie took a step back and looked at her face. The slap mark was still visible on her face; the redness just below her left eye. 

"I'm sorry..." Sarie whispered out. Danielle looked her up and down, the anger dripping out of her eyes. 

"Yeah, well...don't worry about it. No one else does" Danielle strutted away, trying to show some dignity despite the fact her butt had a huge mud stain on it. She stood in the garage door-way, her eyes locked onto the suitcases. Sarie let out a sad sigh. Bailey walked up behind her and crossed his arms. 

"Drugs do that to you" Bailey stated; it was not aimed at Sarie but a statement. Sarie tapped her left toes into the ground. 

"She is such a pretty girl...looks like more than drugs got her" Sarie tilted her head and frowned. Bailey patted Sarie's shoulder before walking away from her. 

"It happens" Bailey walked over to the garage wall and leaned against the wall. He put his hands into his pouch and looked downward. Before Sarie could react to anything, Vance and Frost came walking out of the garage. Vance was sporting a huge yellow grin. 

"Hey gang, guess what?" Vance announced. He stood there with his hands on his hips. Bailey glanced over from his guard-position at the wall. Danielle shifted her feet and moved her eyes onto him. Sarie kept her eyes on him. Frost moved behind Vance. 

"What's going on?" Sarie tried to sound sincere. Vance took a step forward and sneered. 

"It's going-" Suddenly, Frost lifted his shotgun up and pulled the trigger. The shot ripped through Vance's head like a rip watermelon. Blood, brains, and pellets went flying into the air. Bailey's brown eyes caught the side from the side. He pushed off the wall and aimed his left hand at Frost; his hand disappeared into his sleeve. His right hand propped the left arm up as the blood splashed near his feet. Danielle's purple eyes saw Vance's body falling forward; saw his arms go limp and float forward. She watched his headless body smash into the ground, a puddle of red blood forming where his head had been. After it all set in, Danielle sprinted as fast as her heels would let her to his body. She jumped onto his waist and grabbed onto him. Sarie's green eyes saw his face; that yellow grin being smashed into teeth and pellets. Her jaw hung open; her eyes trying to look away but unable to. Sarie tried to form words as the puddle rolled towards her boots, but those words refused to come. Frost's grey eyes calmly looked down at the body. He cocked the shotgun and caused the empty shells to be spit out. 

"Son of a bitch" Danielle screamed. She was now reaching into his pockets. 

"What the fuck is going on?" Bailey screamed; a soft humming coming from his arm. Frost calmly dropped his shotgun; it swung besides his leg. 

"You're going to thank me" Frost announced. Bailey took a deep breathe; his hand popped back out of his sleeve. Danielle pulled something out of his pocket. 

"Score!" Danielle screamed, pumping her fist. She sprinted away from the body and towards the garage. 

"She's broken up. Ok, you got a lot of explaining to do" Bailey commented. He walked towards Frost; his arms crossed over his chest. Frost looked over at Sarie; she was still standing there. She seemed to be having a hard time breathing. 

"Sarie...Sarie, you ok?" Frost asked. Bailey craned his neck and looked at her. 

"Shit, battle-shock" Bailey commented. Both men walked over to her. Sarie took a step away from Frost; her eyes wide in terror. 

"Why did you do that?" She shrieked as she came out of shock. Frost closed his eyes. Bailey spun around and looked at the garage. 

"Where'd that...son of a bitch" Bailey sprinted towards the garage. Frost looked over his shoulder and Sarie took a step to the left. Danielle was ripping through the briefcase, papers and pencils flying in the air. 

"Where is his shit? Where is it?" Danielle screamed. Bailey ran up and grabbed her by the left wrist. He yanked her up, noticing all the red dots on her arm. She fought in his grip; but he held her wrist tight. 

"What, you looking for some heroin?" Bailey hissed. Danielle looked at him and let out big wad of spit. 

"Fuck you asshole! You guys just killed him! He was the only one who took care of me! I want my heroin!" Danielle fought in Bailey's grasp; her eyes wide in panic. Bailey reached over and grabbed her other wrist and held her up in the air. He pushed her against the wall and held her. 

"Frost or Sarie, look in that briefcase. Any, and I mean any, heroin you find...through it in the sewers" Bailey screamed. Danielle lifted her feet up and began kicking at his chest. 

"Stop it! Stop it! I need it! I need it!" She screamed; tears flying down her eyes like bullets. Frost ran up up, avoiding the head-less body on the ground. He grabbed the briefcase up and dumped out all the contents. A few needles fell out of it. 

"Give me those! I want them- I need them!" Danielle screamed. Frost looked over at her struggling against Bailey. Bailey got sick of getting kicked and threw his body into her, pressing her against the wall as hard as he could. 

"Do it! Throw them out" Bailey ordered. Frost walked over to the sewer grate and tossed them in. With that, the desire to fight washed out of Danielle's body. Her mouth hung open; the tears rolling onto her lips. 

"No...no...no..no" She went limp. Bailey let her go; she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Sarie walked up next to the body and looked at all three of them. 

"What's going on?" She screamed at the top of her lungs. 

* * *

"You know, I hope putting bodies into a dumpster doesn't become standard-place between us" Bailey commented as he turned the corner towards the garage. Sarie looked over at them; the water rushing out of the hose in her hands doing its best to clean all the blood away. Danielle sat near the sewer grate and mumbled incoherently. Sarie turned the hose off and dropped it to the ground. 

"This was a huge mistake..no, it's a nightmare!" She screamed; her heart pounding wildly in her heart. Frost hung his head and let out a small sigh. Bailey walked past her and over towards Danielle. 

"You're going into withdrawal" Bailey stated; it was not a question but a fact. Danielle looked up at him; her lip was trembling and her eyes were blinking rapidly. Bailey extended an arm to her and sighed. 

"Come on; you're going to have the chills anyways. Let's get you inside" Bailey commented. Danielle shook her head; placing her hands on the curb, she got up herself and walked past him. She stopped at the garage-way door and crossed her arms. 

"So why did you shoot that fuck?" She asked towards Frost. Sarie finally looked at him; her eyes full of questions. Bailey strolled up behind Sarie and looked at Frost as well. 

"You got a lot of explaining to do" Bailey added. Frost nodded his head. 

"This is going to take me a few minutes...I've known Vance a year or so. We were both mercs here, so I guess we were going to meet each other sooner or later. Vance loved using me for help...I was easy to lie to. I couldn't hear anything he said, anyways. So he'd use me. He'd lie about how much we'd been offered; I'd just accept...I had no other money. Deaf mercs don't get much work" Frost began. Bailey raised an eyebrow. 

"For a deaf guy, you seemed to hear me well" Bailey pointed out. Frost shrugged and nodded again. 

"Anyways, Vance was always a shit head. So then, he came into the bar earlier tonight with Sarie...well, I knew what he had planned. Don't you, Danielle?" Frost looked towards her. Danielle bit her lip as some fresh tears fought to her face. Sarie looked over at Danielle; at her short skirt; at her high red heels that looked impossible to walk in, in a top that Sarie would be ashamed to wear. 

"He uses innocent people" Danielle added; her body shaking terrible now. Sarie walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Danielle looked up at her, but did not fight her hand off. Sarie turned her attention back to Frost and nodded. 

"Vance needed money, quick, to get drugs. There never was a shipment; he was gonna turn me in. I have a small bounty on my head. Not enough for anyone to care, but enough for some drugs. Of course, Danielle showed up. Well, Vance has never been opposed to three-ways...or making girls have sex" Frost explained. Danielle took a deep breathe, shaking even more if it was possible. Sarie felt like she was going to throw up. Bailey looked over at the girls and took a deep breathe. 

"And you waited this long to shot him?" Bailey remarked. Frost looked down. 

"He used me for a long time...then, we found you Bailey. Vance knows you're worth a lot. It's that cannon on your arm, huh?" Frost commented, looking at his hand. Bailey lifted his hand up and shook his arm. The sleeve came downwards, revealing a dirty black arm cannon attached on his arm. He hand suddenly disappeared into the cannon; the whole thing transforming in a second to become a cannon. 

"It's worth a lot...a lot" Bailey stated. His hand popped back out of the cannon. He pulled the sleeve back over the cannon. 

"So, that's what he did. He called someone and found out the bounty on your head. I guess the job he had in Cobbleston didn't pay a lot. He was gonna turn us both in...and with all that money, have fun with the girls there" Frost looked around, making sure no one else was around. Sarie took her hand off of Danielle's shoulder and crossed them over her skirt. 

"He was going to do...horrible things to us" Sarie mumbled out. Danielle looked at her and nodded. 

"Terrible things...I know..." Danielle forced out; her body shaking with goosebumps now. Frost took a step towards Sarie; his eyes shining now. 

"He always said stuff behind my back...he thought I was stupid and deaf. But something...I dunno how, but after that gutter hit me...I can hear again" Frost explained; a sound of pure joy lingering in his throat. Sarie blinked and tilted her head. 

"How-how is that possible?" Sarie stammered. Frost shook his head and shrugged. 

"I'm not sure! But I can hear...Vance told me to stand by the door and make sure no one bothered him when he was on the phone. I heard every word he said...my hearing isn't great. It sounds like I have water in my ear. But I heard what he said...so when he came out...I decided to repay you Sarie. I...I knew he was going to hurt you. All of you. And since I got my hearing back, I felt I owed you" Frost crossed his arms and took a huge breathe. Sarie blinked a few times. 

"You...you saved me...you saved Danielle and Bailey...and yourself" Sarie felt a smile growing on her face. Bailey let out a laugh. 

"I would have saved my own ass" He turned away from them and looked at the street. Danielle pushed Sarie with one hand, almost knocking her over. Sarie let out a gasp. Danielle walked right up to Frost and glared up at him. 

"You don't give a shit about me! No one does!" Danielle screamed. Frost leaned away from the words like they were flames. 

"Child, you are to young to be a heroin hooker for Vance. For anyone. It is time to clean up, for you own good" Frost looked her right in the eye. Her saw the panic in her eyes; the tears welling up in her eyes. Danielle pushed Frost; her weak arms barely budging his stomach. 

"Shut up! No one gives a shit what I do, ok?" Danielle turned away from him and took a step. In her way now was Sarie. 

"Danielle, please...look, I wanna care about you. You look like you really want someone to be your friend" Sarie smiled at her. Danielle looked at her; tears still streaming down her face. 

"You're lying...no one ever cares..." Danielle suddenly ran out of energy. She just stood there and cried. Sarie put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. 

"I want to care. I do care...look, Frost cares. He got rid of Vance...I saw Vance hit you. I got scared...I wanted to help, but I got scared. I'm going to help now. And you know, Bailey cares. He's trying real hard not to care, but he got rid of those drugs for you" Sarie finished. With that, Bailey sneered even though no one could see his face. 

"I need...I need..." Danielle bit her lip and cried even more now. She shrugged Sarie's hand off and hugged herself. She stepped around with her feet. Frost watched her for a moment, then walked up behind him and put his hands on her shoulders. Danielle stopped moving; she fell backwards against him. Bailey turned towards them and walked over. He stopped next to Sarie and looked at Danielle. 

"You're going to thank me. Ok people, enough of the caring crap. I hate to tell you this, but someone had to hear or see all of this shit. We killed two people here tonight. I think we should bugger off and start the caring crap later" Bailey explained. Frost slowly massaged Danielle's shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. 

"Agreed. But where we going to go?" Frost pointed out. Bailey put a hand under his chin and lightly rubbed his chin. 

"Damn if I know...not here..." Bailey stated. Sarie smiled suddenly, her smile brightening the whole area. She clapped her hands together. 

"We can go to Cosmo Canyon! All of us!" Sarie cheerfully exclaimed. Everyone else turned their attention to her now. 

"Why? What's there?" Bailey questioned. 

"That's not a five minute walk" Danielle muttered. 

"It's quite a journey" Frost stated. Sarie pushed down on her feet and locked herself into position. She opened her hands out and placed them outwards. 

"Look guys...you may laugh at me for saying this. But I...I think...someone told me I have to save the world. I know it sounds crazy, but I believe that person...my guardian angel. I believe her. She told me to go to Cosmo Canyon. And...well, we all need to get out of this place. You guys are all smarter than me. I'm just some naive girl from Cobbleston. I could use the help..." Sarie trailed off. She felt like a bug on a leaf with a group of scientists examining it. She was expecting a snide comment from Bailey, a rude comment from Danielle, and a truthful yet painful comment from Frost. 

"Anything to get out of here" Bailey stated. 

"I agree" Frost calmly answered. 

"You want me to go?" Danielle questioned; a piece of hope in her voice. Sarie blinked once or twice; they had all been caught off guard by her. 

"Sure Danielle" Sarie replied quickly. Frost squeezed her shoulders a bit more. 

"If you clean up" Frost commanded. Danielle looked up at him; her eyes still stained with tears. 

"That way, we can keep an eye on you. Make sure you're flying straight" Bailey added. Danielle's head spun towards him now; he had a soft smile on his face which quickly went away when she saw it. But she had seen it. Sarie clapped her hands together. 

"You're all serious? You want to come with me?" Sarie smiled brightly and watched the three heads nod agreement. 

"That's fantastic! I mean, I'm not sure what I have to do or anything..." Sarie trailed off again. And once again, she waited for a snide, rude, or truthfully painful comment. 

"We're going to find out, then?" Frost wanted to know. 

"I'm not sure if you guys can help me or not...I think so though" Sarie commented. Bailey shook his head. 

"I better go then, for sure. You guys will end up lost without me" Bailey stretched his arms out and then stuck them into his pouch. Sarie smiled at him and turned her attention to Frost and Danielle. 

"I still owe you for my hearing" Frost said in a calm voice. Danielle took a deep breathe and pulled away from Frost in an easy manner. She took her hand and cleaned away the tears from her eyes. 

"I...I'm really fucked up. I dunno why, but you guys seem like you care. Maybe its cause you just meet me. Maybe cause I'm all fucked up..." Danielle trailed off. Her body was shaking terrible still; withdrawal was beginning to truely dig its teeth into her. Sarie jogged over to the girl and put her hands on her shoulders. She then lifted up Danielle's face and looked her right in the eyes. 

"Danielle...I don't know the first thing about drugs. But I know you need to get off them. And I will do anything I can to help you...I promise, I swear I will!" Sarie told her. Danielle's lips shook nervously, until she threw her arms around Sarie and clung to her tightly. 

"Please...please..." Danielle muttered into Sarie. Sarie just closed her eyes and rubbed the younger girl's back gently. The wind rolled over the area as if to wash away all the bad feelings that had occurred that night. 


End file.
